The present invention relates to the field of automated packaging, and more specifically, to a method of or an apparatus for casting or throwing a card into a foldable plastic case for an optical disk such as CD (i.e. Compact Disk), DVD (i.e. Digital Video Disk) or the like.
Generally, a case for an optical disk has a box-shaped case body foldable via a hinge. An optical disk is loaded into one side of the case body and a card is inserted into the other side of the case body. On the front face of the case body is provided a cover for inserting a title sheet.
Conventionally, as there were no automated packaging machines to load an optical disk and insert a card and a title sheet into a case, these loading and inserting operations were performed by hand, which was very troublesome.
The solution to this problem is identified in Onishi, Japanese patent application No. 11-217277, published on Feb. 20, 2001 as JP 2001-48118A. As shown in Onishi, an automated optical disk loading machine is provided where loading of an optical disk and insertion of a title sheet and a card can be automatically conducted.
In operation, as a case conveyor conveys a plurality of cases, an optical disk loading device loads an optical disk into a case, a title sheet inserting device inserts a title sheet into the cover of a case, and a card casting device casts or throws a card into a case.
In casting a card into the case, a card is cast or thrown into the case that is placed in a fully developed condition.
Thus, at the time of casting a card in the aforementioned machine, a card sometimes slips out of the case, and the slipped card is sandwiched or pinched between the case bodies at the time of folding the case. Also, a card sometimes crosses over the hinge and the card is bent at the time of folding the case. As a result, stable casting of a card into the case cannot be conducted.
The main object of the present invention is to provide a method or an apparatus to cast a card into a case stably and securely.
The present invention is directed to a method of or an apparatus for casting a card into a case having a pair of case bodies openable and closable via a hinge.
The method of casting a card includes the steps comprising:
(i) closing the case by lifting the case bodies of the case placed in a developed condition.
(ii) casting a card into the case when an open angle of the case is an acute angle during the process of closing the case.
The apparatus for casting a card into a case includes a case closing device to close the case by lifting the case bodies of the case placed on a table in a developed condition. The apparatus also includes a card casting device to cast a card into the case when an open angle of the case is an acute angle during operation of the case closing device.
Preferably, a card to be cast into a case stands by at the position where the tip of the card is inserted into and placed inside the case closed at the acute angle.
In the card casting method of the present invention, a card is cast or thrown into a case when an open angle of the case is an acute angle during the process of closing the case.
That is to say, at the time of casting a card, a case is opened in a V-shaped form. A card cast into the case falls down toward the hinge via its self weight and is inserted into the case. Thus, an inserted card is prevented from crossing over both the case bodies and being bent at the time of folding the case. Moreover, a card insertion space having V-shaped cross section in the case is narrower as it goes toward the bottom or the hinge, which prevents the card inserted into the case from slipping out of the case and also prevents the card from being sandwiched or pinched between the case bodies at the time of folding the case. In such away, a card can be stably and securely cast and inserted into the case.
In the card casting machine of the present invention, a case closing device closes a case, and when the case is closed at an acute open angle, a card casting device casts a card into the case.
At the time of casting a card, a case is opened in a V-shaped form, that is, a case is formed with a card insertion space of V-shaped cross section. Thus, an inserted card is prevented from crossing over both the case bodies and being bent at the time of folding the case. Moreover, the card cast into the case is prevented from slipping out of the case and also prevented from being sandwiched between the case bodies at the time of folding the case. In such a manner, a card can be stably and securely cast and inserted into the case.
In addition, when a card to be cast stands by at the position where the tip of the card is disposed inside the case closing at the acute angle, xe2x80x9cmis-castingxe2x80x9d of a card into the case can be prevented, and the card can be more securely cast into the case.